The first job interview

The First Job InterviewWhat’s Inside Introduction ...1 Prepare for the Interview ...1 Attend the Interview ...3 Follow-up After The Interview ...5 Sample Questions ...6 Inspect Your Onli

The First Job Interview

What’s Inside

Introduction 1

Prepare for the Interview 1

Attend the Interview 3

Follow-up After The Interview 5

Sample Questions 6

Inspect Your Online Identity 7

Introduction

Often, it is the degree of preparation that

makes the difference between a successful and

unsuccessful interview candidate Read carefully

– the following information will guide you

through your first interview and provide the

groundwork for future success

Prepare for the Interview

When an appointment is made for an interview,

it is imperative for you to be fully prepared for

it There are three areas to cover in order to be

properly prepared They are as follows:

Know the Employer

This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate

your research skills It is important for you

to find out as much as you can about the

organization, agency, institution, etc., with

which you are interviewing Ask yourself the

following questions:

• What does the organization make or what service

does it provide?

• What is the size of the organization? What is its

organizational structure? How much potential for

advancement is there within this structure?

• Who are the organization’s officers,

administrators, etc.? Know something of their

background and recent achievements.

Find out how the position you are applying for

relates to the whole organization Try to pinpoint

some challenges, opportunities, policies, or

philosophies of the organization, and plan to

focus on these during the interview

You can find some of this information in the

Career Center Library, Strozier Library, or at the

local library You can also visit glassdoor.com for

interview questions job seekers have been asked

at specific organizations Visit employer websites

to find additional information The following

resources in the Career Center Library might be

helpful to you:

• Employer Literature Files

• Job Choices Guides

• Guide to Employer Directories

to remember when preparing for an interview

is that the prospective employer is primarily concerned with hiring someone who will make

a valuable contribution to the organization Be prepared to tell an employer why you would be

a valuable asset to them and why they would benefit from hiring you With many applicants

for the same job, it will be up to you to convince the interviewer that of all those interviewed, you

are the best choice To help prepare yourself,

study the Sample Questions in this guide and

use the Career Portfolio to identify and describe your skills

Learn to Communicate Effectively

It is imperative for you to know yourself and the organization with which you are interviewing, but if you are unable to communicate your knowledge clearly and concisely, your interview will not be impressive You must be able to express yourself to the interviewer

The best way to improve your communication skills is to practice role-playing before the

interview Consider participating in a mock

interview at the Career Center or ask a friend,

your partner, or your roommate to help you

simulate an interview Use the sample questions

in this guide to prepare Make sure you are critiqued on your voice tone, body language, and eye contact

Another suggestion for role-playing might

be to get together with people who are also preparing for interviews You could learn by critiquing different approaches and comparing experiences This method might also be a good way to boost morale

A critical point to remember while practicing

is to avoid memorizing what you want to say

If you come across like you have a speech prepared, your interview will be less effective You will be nervous during the interview

Concentrate on what is being asked and respond appropriately Many people make their voices

more monotone to sound professional Don’t!

Speak as you normally would in conversation Another essential component of effective communication is active listening Be sure to pay

• Almanac of American Employers

• Hoover’s Handbook of American Business

• Directory of Florida Industries

• Florida Trend magazine

• National Jobbank

This research can be very valuable to you

during the interview It will not only increase

your self-confidence, but it will also impress

the interviewer He or she will regard you

as a person who has sincere interest in

the organization because you took time to

find out something about it For additional

information, see the Researching Potential

Employers Guide in the Career Center or online at

www.career.fsu.edu/advising/guides.cfm.

Know Yourself

You need to know many facts about the

employer, and the interviewer needs to know

many facts about you in order to make a fair

evaluation Interviewers are often amazed

at answers they receive in response to the

question: “Who are you and what do you want

to do?” and “Tell me about yourself.” Before

an interview, know what you have to offer the

potential employer and organization

Evaluate yourself in terms of your strengths and

how you could translate these strengths into

skills your prospective employer can use Also,

be able to provide examples of these strengths

It is also helpful to know your weaknesses,

as no one is perfect If you are asked to state

a weakness, do not elaborate on it Instead,

state steps you are taking to improve upon

your weakness For example, if you are shy

and public speaking is difficult, think about

taking a toastmasters course or volunteering

to lead meetings or give presentations This

demonstrates that you are self-aware and

proactively working to better yourself

Be ready to talk about your career objectives,

your short- and long-term goals, and your

interests Study your resume and be familiar

with your education and experience

Practice illustrating how your extracurricular

activities are examples of skills in leadership

and responsibility The most important point

close attention to the interviewer’s questions

Don’t get distracted or daydream Remember, it

is beneficial to take a moment after each question

is asked to prepare thoughtful, thorough

answers

Attend the Interview

Be on Time

It is better to be a few minutes early than one

minute late for your interview Interviewers

have busy schedules and if you are late, it will

cut into the amount of time allotted to you Most

important, if you are late you will make a bad

initial impression

Dress Appropriately

When seeking a professional position, you

must look like a professional A good guideline

to follow is to dress as others do in the same

occupation Remember, the first impression is a

lasting one

Women: Wear a simply tailored suit or dress

Wear conservative nail polish and lipstick Make

sure your hairstyle is neat and professional

Leave flashy earrings in your jewelry box Be

moderate in use of makeup and avoid perfume

Men: Wear a clean, pressed, conservative suit

with a subtle shirt and tie Have your shoes

shined and wear plain socks that match your suit

color Make sure your hair is neat and trimmed

Long hair and extremely long sideburns are

considered unprofessional Clean and trim your

nails Avoid gaudy or flashy jewelry Abide by

the 13 rule, where you can wear no more than 13

pieces of “bling” such as earrings or buttons

For more on business dress, see the Career

Center’s Dress to Impress guide.

Anticipate the Interview Situation

The interview situation can vary from a

one-to-one contact between you and an employee of

the organization (human resources manager,

campus recruiter, department manager, etc.), to

a panel composed of several different employees

or department heads representing various

levels or functions It is also possible to have a

sequence of several interviews on a given day

Performance interviewing is another technique some organizations use In this case, you will be asked to perform tasks which your possible job will entail in a limited amount of time Mistakes are expected The employer is looking at the way you handle yourself In other situations, especially academic settings, you may be asked

to lecture or present in your area of expertise Finally, phone and Skype interviews are becoming more common and may be used in the interview process

Another type of interviewing is called behavioral interviewing, where the employer seeks to predict future behavior by examining past behavior Employers often use the STAR approach to gauge past behavior When answering questions about previous jobs or responsibilities, be able to describe past work

Situations, Tasks at hand, Actions you to took

to complete the tasks, and the Results you

achieved For more information on behavioral interviewing strategies, see articles in the Career Center Library Mobile File

Break the Ice

Interviews are unpredictable and no two interviews are alike Much depends upon the interviewer’s personality and experience Interviewers usually try to make you as comfortable as possible as the interview begins Often they start with basic questions from your resume Since this information is familiar to you, the interview will become less tense Be ready when the interviewer starts to concentrate on specific facts

Answer the Interviewer’s Questions

After an introduction, the interviewer will usually get to the point Typical questions are:

• What was your major when you started college? What is it now?

• Did you change your goals? Why?

• How can a job with this organization help you meet your career objectives?

• What contributions do you see yourself making to our organization?

From this type of questioning, the interviewer can gauge whether you are looking for any job

you can get or if you know yourself well and

are trying to meet your needs through selective

interviewing The interviewer will attempt to

assess your motivations, as well as the way you

operate While a resume provides the facts, the

interview provides the “why’s and “how’s.”

During the interview, the most important thing

to remember is to be honest Interviewers will

not be able to evaluate you fairly if you attempt

to deceive them Telling interviewers what you

think they want to hear is not the purpose of the

interview If you are deceitful and interviewers

sense this, the chance of being invited for a

second interview is slim

Be prepared to back up what you say According

to interviewers, too many applicants make

statements that they are unable to prove If

you state that you have certain skills and

abilities, cite specific examples where you have

demonstrated them The FSU Career Portfolio

is a good way to document your skills and

accomplishments

Some interviews might include stress questions

so that the interviewer can get to know you

better Stress questions usually involve

problem-solving and have no right or wrong answers

The purpose of this type of questioning is to see

how you think and react under pressure For

example, an interviewer can ask you how many

planes you think are in the sky For sample

stress questions, visit the Career Center Library

Be Prepared to Talk Salary

(But don’t bring it up first.)

One question you should be ready to address is

expected salary On your resume, it is not proper

to mention salaries You can even leave it open

on your application form or write negotiable

But in an interview, you might be asked to

state a figure Know standard starting salaries

for those with your general qualifications in

similar positions For salary information, consult

resources in the Career Library, including the

National Association of Colleges and Employers

Salary Survey.

There are also several websites that provide

salary information One example is www.

salary.com Glassdoor.com also offers salary

information from people in specific jobs and organizations Many other sites can be found

by simply searching the web using the term

“salary” in conjunction with your desired position title These sources can give you some idea of what your salary range will be

By knowing the rate beforehand, you can be realistic in your terms Candidates whose rates are too high might price themselves right out of the job If you are too low, the interviewer might not consider you an ambitious person, and there is a chance you will not be given further consideration Another possibility is that they might hire you at a lower rate and there will be

no chance for renegotiating your salary

One way to handle salary questions is to give

a range Be prepared to back up your salary request with specific information about your education and experience Generally it is recommended that candidates allow employers

to address salary first For more information, see

the Career Center guide Negotiating Job Offers.

Ask the Interviewer Questions

During your pre-interview research, you should prepare some intelligent questions to ask your interviewer at the end of the interview Examples include:

y What training do you provide?

y What is the normal progression of a trainee over the first few years?

y How much travel is required?

y Do you encourage continuing education and reimburse tuition?

y What options do I have in selecting/accepting assignments?

y What continuing staff training programs are available?

Never ask about vacation time or retirement These are not work-related activities You must talk opportunity, not security, although you can ask for more information regarding all fringe

benefits It can be helpful to prepare questions

concerning the organization’s markets, methods,

and projected plans Ask for general information,

not how these issues will affect you Interviewers

will be impressed by your interest in the

organization

During the interview you should be sensitive

to signs that it has run its course Campus

interviews are usually scheduled for twenty

or thirty minutes Interviews end in different

ways Some interviewers might look at their

watch, which is a cue for you that the interview

is nearing an end; some interviewers are blunt

by standing up, holding out their hand and

thanking you for coming in Most employer

representatives however, expect you to sense

the proper time to leave on the basis of subtle

indications that your time is up

When the interview is over, thank the

interviewer for taking time to talk with you

Re-emphasize your interest in the position and

your appreciation for being considered This is

important, since many candidates mistakenly

assume that interviewers sense their interest

If the interviewer does not offer you a job (this

is very rarely done in the initial interview)

or indicate when you will receive word, ask

when you might hear about a second interview

or an actual offer This is important because

every timeline is different, and you will likely

be relieved to have a timeframe where you

can expect to hear back from them If there is

no response at the indicated day/week, call

to demonstrate your continued interest If the

interviewer is impressed with your performance,

you will probably be invited to visit the

organization, meet other personnel and go

through more extensive screening It is usually

after the second interview that a job offer is

given For help on these second interviews see

the Career Center’s guide on Preparing for the

Second Interview So in effect, the main purpose of

an initial interview is to qualify you for a

follow-up

Follow-up After The Interview

Write a Letter of Thanks

Ask for the interviewer’s business card and write a letter of appreciation, either as an e-mail

or handwritten note Previous communication with the organization may give you an idea of the best format to use Make your letter more than a plain thank you note Tell the interviewer you are still interested in the position and

review some of your qualifications discussed

in the interview so that his/her memory will be refreshed You also can include some pertinent questions that you did not ask in the interview

If the interviewer answers you quickly, this might be an indication that the organization is

interested For further help, refer to the Writing Effective Letters guide.

Make each interview a learning experience

As soon as possible after the interview, write down what you have learned Ask yourself:

• Which of my points interested the employer?

• Did I present my qualifications well?

• Did I talk too much? Too little?

• Was I too tense? Was I too aggressive? Too passive?

• How can I improve my next interview?

By reviewing your performance, you can make plans to improve your skills The more you interview, the sharper your skills become and the sooner you will receive an offer

• What are your short- and long-term goals and

objectives? When and why did you establish these

goals? How are you preparing to reach them?

• What specific goals, other than those related to your

occupation, have you established for yourself for the

next 10 years?

• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

• What do you really want to do in life?

• How do you plan to achieve your career goals?

• What are the most important rewards you expect in

your career?

• What do you expect to be earning in five years?

• Why did you choose the occupation for which you are

preparing?

• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

• How would you describe yourself?

• How do you think a friend or professor who knows

you well would describe you?

• What motivates you to make your greatest effort?

• How has your college experience prepared you for

your chosen occupation?

• Why should I hire you?

• What qualifications do you have that make you think

that you will be successful in this field?

• How do you determine or evaluate success?

• What do you think it takes to be successful in an

organization like ours?

• In what ways do you think you can make a

contribution to our organization?

• What qualities should a successful manager possess?

• Describe the relationship that should exist between a

supervisor and those reporting to him or her.

• What two or three accomplishments have given you

the most satisfaction?

• Describe your most rewarding college experience.

• If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what

qualities would you look for?

• Why did you select your college or university?

• What led you to choose your major or field of study?

• What college subjects did you like best? Like least?

Why?

• If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?

• What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?

• Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?

• Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?

• What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?

• What have you learned from previous jobs?

• In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?

• How do you work under pressure?

• In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested? Why?

• How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?

• Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization?

• What do you know about our organization?

• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?

• Are you seeking employment in an organization of a certain size? Why?

• What criteria are you using to evaluate the organization for which you hope to work?

• Do you have geographical preference? Why?

• Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you?

• Are you willing to travel?

• Are you willing to spend six months as a trainee?

• Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our organization is located?

• What have you done that shows initiative?

• What major problems have you encountered and how did you deal with it?

• What have you learned from your mistakes?

• Describe an example where you worked as part of a team.

Questions adapted from The Endicott Report: Trends in Employment of College and University Graduates in Business and Industry, by Frank S Endicott

Sample Questions

Inspect Your Online Identity

Have you researched and cleaned up your

online reputation?

If not, google yourself and check your social

networking profile(s) to determine if the

information out in cyberspace is incriminating,

outdated, embarrassing, wrong, or not even

about you Even if you don’t look yourself

up, employers might, and it may cost you

the interview, the job, and your professional

reputation Take these five steps to ensure your

online identity is clean

Step 1: Investigate

Use search engines to explore your online

identity and check at least the first five results

Search:

y With your name in quotation marks

y Your name and your school name, fraternity/

sorority, organizations, middle name/initial,

hometown, dorm, major, etc.

Examples of search engines to use include:

y www.spoheo.com (Gather photos and info

about you)

y www.pipl.com (Gather photos and info about

you)

y www.google.com

y www.yahoo.com

y www.bing.com

y www.ask.com

Step 2: Secure Facebook and MySpace Accounts

If you can’t stand to do away with questionable

material (politically incorrect, rude, explicit, sexist,

etc.) on Facebook, then change the privacy setting

to restrict availability to only confirmed friends you

trust By doing so, recruiters and employers will not

have access to your account A good way to clean up

your MySpace page is to remove negative pictures

and blog entries.

Step 3: Ask for Help

Your editorial might have been published on your

school newspaper’s website, you might have added

a comment to a blog, or someone might have posted

information about you If any of this information

is damaging, you might want to ask the website

owner or editor to remove the information Ask

nicely and be specific as

to the page(s) or section(s) you are requesting to

be removed If the case

is extreme, you may want to consult with

an attorney If you are unable to have the information removed,

be prepared to speak to

an employer about your actions by turning the negative situation into a positive one

Step 4: Become Your Own Online Agent

Build your professional identity by creating and posting positive and accurate information about yourself on

sites such as www.linkedin.com, which focus on

career profiles.

You may want to add videos of you winning

an award, giving a speech, or playing a sport to youtube.com or video.google.com.

Step 5: Buy Your Own Domain Name

You can determine if your name is available by visiting this list of reputable domain name registrars.

y www.godaddy.com

y www.register.com

y www.networksolutions.com

Source: Adapted with permission from Not Just Your

Space: The College Student’s Guide to Managing Online Reputation, by Tom Drugan located at www.naymz.

com/blog/?p=32

Alternative Format Available Revised 10/13

Notes